Regardless of what people think, rollerskating has always been a direct influence on rollerblading and skateboarding. Jeff Skatapunk is one of the few vertical roller skaters on quads in the world and he is on a mission to bring vertical roller-skating back. On this page and in this site you will find some old and new pics of the handful of the best vertical quad roller-skaters in the world.

I started vertical skateboarding back in the late 1970's during the Dogtown era. At that time I skated with some of the best skateboarders in the history of skating, and at most of the best and legendary skateparks of the time. I was determined to try my roller skates. I caught on right away because I was already a rollerskater and skateboarder , and I just had a feeling I could do it in those pools, ramps, and skatepark snake runs.

My first real vertical experience was on my skateboard, before that it was mostly banks, reservoirs and snake runs. I had seen some pictures of guys in Skateboarder Magazine, rollerskating in pools and skateparks, and I thought it was awesome. In those days we were building our own backyard quarter pipes and half-pipes.

I started riding my roller-skates on that quite a bit. I ended up skating at places like Skatercross skatepark in Northridge, Pipeline in Upland, Oasis skatepark in San Diego, and Marina Del Ray skatepark, home to the skatepark version of the Legendary Dog bowl. This park was a favorite of many of the pro skateboarders at the time. There were also many other rollerskaters there tearing it up with huge backside channel airs, frontside one footed plate stalls, Andrect’s, and just taking awesome lines around the bowl. This made quite an impression on me.

I don't really believe that anyone knows who the originator of this sport was or who was the first to go vertical on quads. I saw a lot of young unknowns doing it at the skateparks I frequented. Fred Blood was a strong innovator and was doing inverted 540’s in ’79. Rollerskating was pretty popular for a while and all the old skateparks made the terrain readily accessible and so there were a lot of contests then. In the spring of 1980 rollerskating made it to a CBS’s sports spectacular. Skateboarder Magazine and Action Now ran some articles, covered contests, and skateboard manufacturers like Tracker Trucks produced rollerskates for park skating and advertised them in the old mags. I believe production stopped in the mid- ’80's. A few skateboard companies stayed involved by sponsoring a few riders on a limited basis. The Europeans kept the scene alive in the later years and still are. Some of the past and present greats from Europe include: Lars Langguth, Marcos Longares, Martin Broich, Stephan Oerder, Thomas Friedrich, and Thomas Kalak.
 

As skateboarding slumped, and a lot of the parks closed, that was the first blow. The skateboard industry shunned it to some degree after that because they were so desperate for skateboarders that the magazines took a more puritan approach. It was hard to get any coverage, so I don’t think any new people got turned on to it here in the US. Rollerskating stayed strong in Europe for a while, with more promotion and industry involvement.

It really is a blast! There are more skateparks now than in the past 20 years and rollerskates are a great tool on transition. Rollerskating as a whole is on the rise. Now more than ever people want to roll, with rollerskating’s deep history, the side stance option (utilizing frontside and backside approach), the level of challenge it presents and, the amount of enjoyment rollerskating can provide. What was at one time old is new again and rollerskating is coming back.

I started in skating rinks, then progressed to skatepark snake runs banks, and bowls. Those are my roots. I like to ride big vert but the most fun for me now is found in trying to conquer a pool once again.

Recently I have met an increasing number of kids who are interested in riding rollerskates, the main problem is that no one is manufacturing a skate suitable for this kind of riding. I am working on creating a skate that will change all of this and will open other doors for how the rollerskate can be used. I know some people really trip out when they see me ride but a lot of skateboarders and rollerbladers alike really dig it. I get tons of positive feedback and respect from many of the pros in all of the rolling sports.

Today's big names in the sport are pretty much the same as in the early days. Fred Blood, Duke Renee, Lee Ettinger, and Brain Wainwright are still dominant forces in this sport in the U.S. and are trying to keep it alive as well as bring it back.

I love to ride and have always tried to just have a lot of fun. I spite of my advancing age, I believe my diet, training in martial arts and my hard-core sports centered lifestyle have kept me in the kind of shape you need to be in for this type of skating. I have always to stretched a lot in martial arts and to skate, and stretching has a lot to do with it. There have been plenty of falls and injuries too. I just try to rehabilitate myself and keep on going. 

I am all grown up now, sort of, and doing exactly what I had always wanted to do. Starting this skate company, continuing my skating, and giving others a chance to enjoy what I have is my dream come true.